Embers
by TrueKnightFall
Summary: This is a new world. A new age. A world populated by savages, mutants, and the unimaginable. In this world, there is one wolf. One who will never stop fighting to get what he wants. What he needs. This a dark, gritty, and brutal post apocalyptic story about a man just trying to survive and follow an objective. How far would you go to save the ones you love?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everybody. TrueKnightFall here. This is my first fanfiction ever, loosely based off the film Alpha and Omega. The film warmed my heart, and my love for wolves grew watching it. Honestly, I am a sucker for three things, romance, post-apocalyptic stories, and anything futuristic. I decided to start off with a dark, gritty post-apocalyptic story in the near future, populated by anthropomorphic wolves who know only one thing: survive. Feel free to leave a review, for it would be greatly appreciated. Also, readers beware, this story is rated M for extreme violence, strong language, and dealing with very, very dark subject matter that could offend some people. If you decide to continue on, I hope you enjoy my first story. It was inspired mainly by the Metro series, a book and video game franchise that I highly recommend if you are in any way into post-apocalyptic themes. 0ther inspirations include Fallout, and The Last of Us. Without further ado, enjoy.**

 **Chapter 1: Embers**

The fire was nothing but embers now. Nothing but dying orange rocks of comforting warmth, their light slowly fading away, as if being dragged away by the darkness that surrounded him. He stood at the mercy of the pitch black, and still it wanted more from him. The weathered, beaten down jacket he wore heavy on his shoulders provided no comfort nor warmth. None at all. His rough, ravaged by apocalyptic weather and time, turned dark grey fur coat felt dirty and grimy underneath the layers of clothing he wore. He coughed, spitting out dark grey mucus and blood from his throat. The concrete building that protected him from the deathly winds and acid rain didn't do much for the weakening hunger that lurked in his mind. His stomach growled in protest but there was little he could do other than nibble pathetically at left over blackened bread that made him sick to the stomach. He looked up the embers again. Their fiery orange glow reminded him of her. He held his head low in a dark depression. A single tear rolled off his cheek, and dissipated from the heat of the dying light. Maybe he would have been able to make it back to jasper. Or its blackened remnants. Maybe. He couldn't even remember how long it had been since the bombs fell, erasing everything in their path in atomic hellfire. He pulled out of his pocket the only reason he was alive. A crumpled, faded photograph with blood splattered on in, darkened from time. In the frozen moment of time, you could see a look of happiness, and feeling rare in this new age. A blond wolf, still on the slip of paper, smiling at the camera. It created a warm illusion that she was smiling at him. He didn't even knew if she was still alive, but he knew it was the only reasom he fought to survive. The only reason he struggled. She could have been raped, killed, or worse. He still fought, no matter the cost. Sometimes, when they weren't blackness or repercussions of the light that disintegrated all in its way, he saw her in his dark dreams. Her bright smile, her slender body, her beautiful eyes. Sometimes, he would wake up, tears falling off his face. The heavy realization of this new radioactive reality would hit him harder than any fist could, and make it harder for him to get up every day. But still he fought. Even the mental image was either blurry, faded, or too dark for him picture, he always remembered one thing, and he knew he would never forget. He prayed to a dead god that she was ok. The only thing he knew for certain was that her name was Kate.

He reached gruffly for the heavy, dull, blood stained machete that lay on the concrete. His revolver lay clipped onto his belt where it hung until needed. Only four bullets were in the clip. He slipped the picture back into the pocket of his jacket right next to the breast pocket. The stranger sheathed into his belt. He forced himself up from the warmth into the cold and hung a heavy backpack over his shoulders. The backpack contained a rifle on the side, a can of soup, and a canteen of dirty water. The rifle and bullets in it made up most of the weight. He took a last look at his dying bonfire of solitude. His only temporary source of warmth in this cold destroyed world as he trekked across the deformed surface of earth, in a dwindling hope that he would find the wolf he desperately needed to cope in this new hell. He thought of how much he loved her. He put his hand on the breast pocket of his jacket again praying. He begun to move again, on the dark journey that would consume his entire will for a lifetime. He walked out of the concrete building, and into the grey. Everything around him was destroyed, and the harsh winds and rain were immediately beating him down. He knew his objective. Get to Jasper City, or what remains of it, if it even remains at all.

He was on the decimated road now, forcing his body with every step that he took forward to cooperate. He came across a small town. It actually had a little bit of color to it. Rare, he thought in his head. The forgotten ads and signs around the town still had rusted out color to it. They out stood like a beacon in the grey world. He looked at the dark grey and black clouds that constantly blocked out the sun. It was rare to see real pure sunlight.

As he walked down the towns destroyed roads, he noticed a group of other wolves raiding one of the burnt buildings, looking for food. He immediately ducked down behind the colourless metal husk of a car. He knew that confrontation was idiotic. A good way to get killed. It was survival of the fittest in this new world and was kill or be killed. He had learned that the hard way. He had killed more than a few innocent people in his lifetime. He also knew how these savages worked. He had once been on their side.

He decided it would be stupid to try to kill them for the little supplies they could have had so he sprinted and fast as he could to a nearby alley way to try to bypass them. He carefully trotted down the alley, his hand almost on his gun, ready to jump. He had to remember, only four bullets for his pistol, only three for his rifle. He crouched and peeked over at the corner at the end of the alleyway, having thought he heard something. He noticed what looked like a man, dressed the same as everyone else, covered in dirty clothing. A bloody body lay underneath him. Another man, dead by a bullet wound. He surviving wolf put a revolver into his backpack, and started to bang on the door to the side building. An empty shell for a pistol lay in the blood pooling on the concrete.

"You can't hide forever girly!" The man yelled banging on the door. The stranger knew this world well enough to know what he was going to do with her. He quietly snuck around corner, where the man was busy banging on the iron door. A small whimpering was heard from behind it.

"Just you wait till my buddies get here!" He yelled again.

"Go away! Leave me alone!" A muffled sobbing feminine voice responded.

The stranger was about to approach him from behind, ready to break his neck, he kicked a can on the ground.

"Who's there?"

He said nothing, just reacted, smashing the man's entire face into the door, pining one of his arms behind him as he dropped the gun.

The man relentlessly elbowed the stranger in the ribs, making him grunt in pain. The man turned around and sent his fist flying into the stranger's face, his fist connecting with his grey muzzle. Be stumbled back, and the man kicked him in the head, almost losing his balance.

The stranger fell to the ground, holding the end of his muzzle, a little bit of dark blood seeping through his hands.

"You fucking assho-"The man said before the stranger smashed is shoulder into his stomach, winding him. He took the opportunity of him hunching over in pain trying to catch his breath, and ruthlessly grabbed the back of his enemies head, grabbing all the fur he could and yanking his head awkwardly back. He used his free hand to punch him in the face, and then used to the hand he was grabbing him with to smash his whole head as hard he could into the brick building wall. He felt his skull crack in his palm. The man slid down, groaning, facing the wall on his knees. The stranger immediately looted him knowing the noise he made could attracted the others. He found a protein bar and other objects that provided no use to him. He grabbed the revolver and checked the clip. One bullet. He slipped it in his belt.

He looked at the iron door that savage he just killed had been pounding and heard the whimpering behind it. He looked at the body on the ground. Maybe her husband? He thought. He heard crack of a wooden door and glass breaking, followed by her scream out the front of the building.

"Hey guys I found her! Johnson go check on Iron!" A survivor said as the girl whimpered more behind the door.

"Hey, open the door, I can help you." The stranger said, against the door.

"Go away!" The woman replied, panicked.

"She's in the supply room!" The same man that said he found her said as another door cracked somewhere in the dark concrete bowels of the building that she was in.

The stranger's voice was dark and grungy, and didn't exactly sound comforting in any way.

"Listen to me very carefully. I don't have much time, but I can tell you this. I'm not like the rest. So you come with me and live, you don't you die." He said quietly and almost harshly.

Silence responded.

The Stranger didn't knew why he was doing this. He thought he was being stupid.

He heard running down the side alley.

"Iron!" Another man called from the side.

"It's now or never!" He said.

The door opened and she came out, terrified.

Her fur was dark brown and black, and she was wearing a dark office jacket, dirty and torn. She had been crying for a long time. She looked like a German Shepard with slightly rounded ears. Her leg was bleeding badly, and he could tell she couldn't put any pressure on it. She was considerably smaller than the stranger. He was at least two heads taller than her, but he could tell she was a woman.

His expression turned to stone.

"Can you walk?" He said, noting the wound in his head.

"I don't think so." She whimpered.

The stranger immediately pulled the backpack off, and held it his hand.

"Get on my back. Now." He barked at her just as the marauders noticed them from the alley.

"Oh fuck! Iron! You bastard!" One of the group of three yelled, all pulling out bats and pipes.

The stranger shot the bullet off from the revolver he found, making them cower as the girl climbed on his back, still whimpering from the pain.

As soon as she had good grip, wrapping her arms securely around his neck, he took off.

She was very light, which wasn't a good thing. She hadn't ate in while based on her weight and was probably starving. The stranger sprinted down the alley he came, running out into the open street. The group was gone. In the convince store she was in previous.

"Why are you helping me!?" She said as he ran down the road before the strangers could realize what was going on.

He didn't respond, just kept on running.

After what felt like an hour of running, they came across gas station on the side of the black and grey highway.

He noticed the girl was asleep on his back. Not a good sign. She could have been dead for all he knew.

"Hey, you awake?" He said, nudging her head with his.

"Huh…." She said groggily.

"Don't fall asleep. I found somewhere, and we got get the wound on your foot fixed." He said, running into the gas station. It was dark, but not too dark. He found a good place to lay her down on the floor.

"I'm so thirsty…." She muttered.

"You just lost a lot of blood. You need to drink right now." He said opening his backpack, and pulling out his only bandages.

"Do you mind?' He asked, having just met this woman under these circumstances.

"I just want water…" She mumbled.

He took that as a yes and took off her shoes, almost falling apart and rolled up her pant leg. Her ankle had a bullet wound, but luckily, the bullet went through. He started to wrap in bandages, listening to her whimpering.

"Whimpering ain't gonna change nothing." He said coldly. With a hurt expression, she was little quieter.

Once he was done, he rolled the pant leg back down.

"That's gonna hurt for while…" He said as she stared at him with distress in her eyes.

He pondered giving his only water to her.

"Fuck it…" He muttered, pulling the canteen out of his backpack.

He moved towards her and pulled her body up by her armpits, and rested her head and back on his cold chest. The jacket made it cold.

"Here." He handed her the canteen.

"Sorry." She sounded guilty. She didn't grab it.

"Just fucking take it." He responded.

"Don't have to be an asshole about it." She said, hurt and offended.

He didn't respond.

She hesitantly took it and started to gulp it down.

"Slowly. Slowly." He said in what sounded like a little bit of a comforting voice.

She didn't expect that.

She obeyed, but saved a little for him.

"Thank you." She responded.

The stranger set up another bonfire as night fell. The girl was leaned against his backpack to be sitting up. He sat holding his knees. The fire crackled and roared in the dark building. A feeling of quiet serenity took over.

They sat on opposite sides of the small fire made up from half burnt fire wood gotten from the back of the station.

They sat there, soaking up the warmth in the darkness.

The girl was nibbling uncomfortably on the bread the stranger had earlier, not complaining. A better meal awaited, being heated by rusty grill over the fire in a can.

"You never told me your name." She asked.

"Does it matter?" He responded darkly watching the sparkling fire.

"Well yeah. You just saved me for no reason at all, my knight armor, but you won't tell me your name? How do I know you're not like the rest?" She said, glaring at him.

"I saved you didn't I." He responded, not even looking at her. Just that same cold expression on his face since she first saw him.

"That doesn't answer my question." She repeated.

"How do I know you are not like the rest?"

A little bit a silence passed, making her nervous.

"Well?" She asked.

"Because if I was like the rest, I would have killed you by now." He responded.

This scared her.

He felt a little bit bad about it at first, but then realized that there was no reason to feel bad. This was dark world, and she had to get used to it if she wanted to even try to survive in such a unforgiving and murderous universe.

After a while, she finally spoke up again.

"Could you at least tell me your name?" My name Is Alisa." She said, staring hard at him.

He didn't respond. Didn't even acknowledge her. Just kept starting at the fire with the can over it.

"There is no use…" She mumbled, looking down at floor, rubbing her sore leg.

A bit crackling silence passed.

"Humphrey."

She opened her eyes and looked at him, surprised. He was still staring into the fire.

"My name Humphrey."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Who We Are**

"That's a nice name." Alisa responded when the stranger unexpectedly told her his name.

"Thank you. That's…." He hesitated for some reason.

"That's very kind. Something I don't see much of anymore."

"I have question for you. About… your story." Humphrey asked, finally making eye contact with Alisa. Humphrey's were cold. Dark. No more hope left in them. No more fire.

She raised her head.

"What happened back there?" He asked.

"Well, me and my partner- no not in that way, if that's what you're wondering." She said, a small smile forming on her lips.

"I wasn't." He smiled back.

"But go on."

"Me and my partner came here searching a new home when our camp was raided by, well, probably the same assholes you saw back there. We took off to the road, when we encountered that small town. We decided to search the convenience store, in hope of some food. As we were, those assholes caught up to us. Must have followed us. They started banging on the convenience store front door, so ran out the back. Some guy was already there, so I…" She started choke up.

"You left your partner behind." Humphrey completed her sentence for her.

"Yes. I did. And they killed him. And shot me. I locked the doors to the back and the room I was in…" Tears started for off her eyes.

"I heard a lot of conflict out the back, and that's where you came in."

"It's ok. You did what you had to do to survive. We are just survivors in this world." Humphrey said.

"I have lived in a populated camp all my life. I never really saw the outside until a week ago. How about you Humphrey?" She asked, comforted by his words.

Humphrey hesitated to talk about his past.

"I… I've had a complicated past. I'm really not ready to talk about it." He said, his tone darkened.

"Fine." Her tone turned sour.

Silence passed.

Humphrey got up from his spot and sat beside Alisa, who was surprised by this action.

He didn't say anything.

"Here. Look." He handed her picture with a blond wolf smiling sweetly at the camera.

She observed it.

"That your wife?" She asked.

"Something like that…" He responded, putting the picture in his pocket again.

"I honestly don't remember much before the bombs fell. I was only seventeen. I have been so consumed in this world with surviving that honestly forgot. Forgot all but my objective. To get to jasper city." He explained, staring into the fire.

"That would mean your thirty-eight now." She responded.

Humphrey didn't say anything, just nodded.

"How old are you Alisa?" He asked.

"Thirty-four. You got four years on me." She smiled.

"I guess so." He smiled back.

"Anyways, I have been on the road for a long time." He said.

"Are you trying to find your wife?" She asked.

"She-… isn't my wife." He said, frowning.

"Then what is she then?"

"Just someone important to me."

"I need to get to Jasper City. That's where I heard she was. When I was taking refuge in Toronto, I heard on a ham radio that there was a settlement forming there, so I took off. That was over a year ago." He explained.

"Do you think she is still alive?" Alisa asked.

The question panged his heart.

"I hope so. I honestly hope so." He responded, hope dwindling in his voice.

A little awkward silence passed.

"Thank you, by the way. For saving my life." Alisa said.

"Don't mention it." Humphrey responded.

"Do you usually save people like that?" She asked.

Humphrey shrugged, and yet out a noisy yawn.

"No. I don't." He responded.

"What made me any different?"

"I don't know."

"Well thanks anyway." She said, giving him a small hug.

Humphrey didn't know how to respond. He never had anyone show him any kind of affection like that after the blast. He had honestly forgot how it felt to have a kind, warm, genuine interaction with another wolf. It felt good.

She let go, and yawned.

"If you're tired, go to sleep. You're going to need to all the energy you can store if you're going to survive out there." He said.

"I'm…. Going to be coming with you, right?" She asked, unsure and worried that her new companion would abandon her.

"You sure you even want to? It will be a dangerous road, and we still got a long ways to go." Humphrey responded, looking at her in her eyes. They were dark and piercing but in a strange way, a calming brown that reminded him of the bark on trees before the blast.

"It's better than going out there by myself. Right?" She asked.

"Yeah. It is."

Humphrey pulled out a sleeping bag from his backpack. It was torn, worn, and sooty, but it was still a sleeping bag that provided warmth.

He handed it to Alisa.

"For sleeping."

"What about you?" Alisa asked, as he lied down on the concrete ground, shifting uncomfortably.

"I'll be fine. You just get some sleep." He said, turning his back to her. The fire was again, just glowing embers now. They dimly illuminated her and Humphrey.

She obeyed, and slipped into the sleeping bag, using the backpack as pillow.

While she closed her eyes, she pondered why he had chosen to help her. Why he came at such a right time. Why he knew how to comfort her using just words.

Then she realized it.

Maybe there was someone watching from above.

Humphrey opened his eyes, and rubbed them, getting up with a sore and stiff back that stretching didn't seem to help too much. That's what he got for sleeping on the concrete. He looked to the side and noticed Alisa still sleeping.

He crouched down and shook her shoulder.

"Is it time already?" She mumbled, yawning.

"Yes. Get up, we have to get moving." He responded.

She got up, and before she could stand, yelped in sudden pain. He immediately supported her.

"That leg is still healing. I'm going to have to carry you again." He said.

"How are you going to carry me and the backpack?" She asked.

He thought for moment.

"This might be bit awkward, but, I can wear the backpack in the front, and tie you to my back with the rope I found in the back." He said.

"Sounds good to me."

He grabbed his backpack, and wore it on his chest, tightening the straps so it couldn't fall off.

"Give me the sleeping bag." He said as she handed it to him, and he placed it in the bag, zipping it up.

He crouched down.

"Alright. On my back." He said as she crawled on his back, getting herself in good position, wrapping her arms around his neck. She lay her head on the back of his neck and head as well as she wrapped her legs around his lower abdomen.

He took a rope and secured it around her back and bottom, and around his chest, behind the backpack, tying it not too tight, but tight enough so she wouldn't fall off.

"That feel comfortable?" He asked, looking at her from behind.

"Good as it's gonna get." She laughed a little.

"I haven't heard someone laugh for three years." He smiled.

And with that, the two set off down the apocalyptic landscape of the new world.

About three hours later, full of talking to distract them from the dark depressing landscape and the soreness of the leg bloody bandaged leg Alisa had, it had started to storm.

That was one thing about that apocalypse. When it stormed, it stormed. Dangerously. Acid rains, and winds that could drag cars across a road constantly beat down the already deformed earth.

"You see that? Storm clouds." Humphrey pointed out to Alisa, turning so she could get a good look at the dark grey and black clouds in the distance. They were no different from all the others, these ones just had thunder forming in them, briefly lighting up the blackness within them every few seconds.

"How long do we have before they come here?" Alisa asked, a little bit of worry lacing her voice.

"I'm guessing about twenty minutes." Humphrey responded, pulling a thick rain jacket from the backpack.

"I save this for special occasions. I guess it's yours now." He said as he handed it to her as she reached around him to grab it, and put the jacket on. It was extra-large, and covered the entire length of her body and more. She slipped on, the sleeves flying in the wind due to the progressing winds.

"You're going to wanna bury your hands in each other, kind of like your praying!" He started yell because the intense winds grew with every passing moment.

Alisa pulled up the hood, which completely covered her face. It was more like a cloak then a hood and jacket. She buried her hands, interlocked, and connected the sleeves, like Humphrey said. When she was done, she took the connected hands buried them in the gap between his back, and her.

"Good! Now bury your face on my jacket! Your gonna want to completely protect yourself from the rain!"

She again did what she was told, and buried her muzzle against his jacket, the hood protecting her completely, and enveloping her a cold dark.

"Make sure to tuck that tail in all the way sweetie!" He said, as she tucked her tail in the rain jacket.

That last comment made her feel warmer.

She was now completely covered by the acid rains and wind that was about to come for them.

"What about you!?" She yelled, concealed by the cloak.

"Don't worry about me! I can handle myself! You just worry about not getting that rain on you! It will burn like hell!" Humphrey yelled as he started trudge forward, putting his hand and arm in front of his face to protect himself from the rain and wind.

A half an hour later he was battling the storm. His arm stung. His whole body burned like his face as the rain started to seep through his clothes. Still he trudged forward. The winds threatened to send him flying, but he refused to let them best him. Thunder and lightning constantly boomed.

Through gritted teeth he yelled:

"You doing alright back there!?"

"Yeah! How about you!?" She responded, muffled by his jacket.

"Could be better!" He said, and still trudged forward, going as fast as his legs would take him with all of the resistance he was battling.

After the while, he thought he saw what looked like a checkpoint.

A searing flame of hope emerged in his chest.

The check point said

JASPER

In rusted out green on the sign above the booths.

Then he actually started to laugh in joy, despite all the pain he was in.

Behind the checkpoint, through the grey fog and rains, the black silhouette of a huge, once thriving remains of a city stood in the grey horizon.

"We made it!" He laughed as the he made his way to the checkpoint and past.

The city was just on the horizon, but he couldn't get a good look at it through all the conditions.

He had hoped desperately that Kate was there. Somewhere in the bowels of that destroyed and forgotten city where he had grown up.

"Were gonna make it! Just hold on a little bit longer!" He said at Alisa, grabbing her arms locked around him in joy.

"You doing ok back there!?" He asked again.

"I'm doing fine! Just don't let me drop damn it!" She said in a silently happy tone.

For the first time in a long time, Humphrey was genuinely happy.

Something he hadn't of been in long time.

"So that is Jasper city?" Alisa yelled through the harsh winds, raising her head slightly to see what he was seeing.

"Yeah!" He said.

"Well, what remains of it anyways?" He chuckled.

"Well I'm sure there will be enough of it for you to recognize!" She said in comforting voice that warmed his heart.

"Thank you for saying that." He smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: The Dead City**

With Alisa on his back, Humphrey trudged through the dead city of jasper, the grey and black skeletal concrete remains of barely familiar buildings shielding them partially from the storm. It was strange, and in a way, made him sad and happy at the same time: He recognized a lot of the buildings, even if they were just remains held in place by a somewhat visible iron skeleton, and that made him happy and brought back some memories that lurked in the back of his mind. It also made him sad, to see his hometown, his city, to be in this condition. But alas, he knew. He knew this is what it would look like, decimated and gone, so he accepted it. He just hoped Kate was still alive. But hope was dwindling.

"You know some of these places?" Alisa asked, the hood down now, her looking around in awe.

"Some. I think." He responded darkly.

"Sorry." She responded, realized that he must have been going through a lot right now.

"Do… do you remember anything? From before the war?" She asked, almost hesitantly.

"A little. I remember where my house is, but really would rather not visit that place right now." He said, looking to the side as they walked out of the tall buildings, and onto what looked like a residential area.

The area was wide open, small to medium sized houses everywhere. The sky was beginning to darken from its already dark grey.

"It's going to be dark soon, and you don't want to be out in the dark, especially in cities like this one." He said, stopping and admiring the post-apocalyptic scenery.

"What happens when it's dark?" Alisa asked, a little worried about what his answer was going to be.

He turned back and walked back into the dark downtown area.

"We have to find shelter quick, I will explain it to you then." He responded, locating a subway entrance.

She didn't respond, just took his advice.

The two approached the subway entrance, to discover it was almost nothing but rubble. Dust and concrete littered entrance, and the escalators, forgotten machinery that their electronic insides were fried along with everything else, didn't go far down.

"Well what now?" Alisa asked.

"That." He pointed towards a hole in the rubble, held up by a concrete slab that part of a wall of the entrance. It looked like a dark entrance to a type of makeshift den. Maybe they would embrace their canine ancestors.

"That kinda looks dark.." She muttered, noticing the entrance.

"Well its better than the alternative." He said, taking her off his back, holding her up so she wouldn't have to step on her injured leg. He helped her in the small cave like opening first, then climbed in after her. It was near pitch black inside, and there was barely enough room for the two them, never mind his backpack.

He poked his body out again, and noticed the sky already almost black. He took a concrete rock, and moved in front of the entrance of the small crevice, sealing all light at all from the small den.

"Fuck its dark in here." Alisa complained, as felt around for his backpack.

"And cold." She added on.

He got a hold of his backpack, and pulled out a small candle, lighting it with a lighter.

It flickered and provide small illumination, but did nothing for heat.

The place was smaller than expected, barely any room for his legs that he lay down.

Alisa was at the other wall, leaning against it like him. They were both sitting, there was no room for standing up.

He coughed, and she looked at him.

For a little while, there was silence. Not an awkward silence, but a heavy, comforting silence. The only noise was the rising storm outside of their shelter. Thunder and lightning crackled in the city. The storm from earlier must of traveled all the way to the city and now was beating it down like all the others. They looked at each other in the flickering light.

Humphrey broke the silence.

"You want a light?" He asked, eyebrow raised.

Her brow curled in confusion.

"A light? We have one….?" She gestured towards the candle.

His tired eyes had a spark of light in them. He smiled tiredly.

"No. I mean a smoke." He said, pulling a cigar out of his backpack.

"Oh. No, I'm ok." She said, knowing what he meant.

He looked at her.

"Suit yourself." He said as he lite the cigar on the candle, taking a drag.

"Where did you find that?" Alisa said as he breathed the smoke out.

"I got it off I guy I killed." He said darkly.

Alisa was silent.

Humphrey thought he might have scared her.

"Sorry." He said comfortlessly.

"It's ok. Just doing what you had to do to survive. I get that." She smiled at him.

He smiled back, his cold dark eyes finally getting some warmth, showing off the blue that the world had took the color from.

"Did you smoke before the fall?" She asked.

"No. Well, yeah, I started shortly before the fall."

"Why?"

"I honestly have no idea."

The thunder boomed outside, and they could hear the rain pouring out there.

"You forgot to tell me what was out there during the night." She asked.

He was silent at first.

"Do you believe in mutants?"


End file.
